1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door locking handle assembly of a pull-out and side-swinging lever-action type, through which assembly a door of an instrument box and the like for receiving various types of instruments therein is locked to a stationary frame element of the instrument box and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional door locking handle assembly of a pull-out and side-swinging lever-action type such as one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2969118, for example, comprises: a housing fixedly mounted on a door which is swingably mounted on a stationary frame; an operating handle which has at least its main body portion retractably received in said housing and its proximal-end portion pivoted to a front-end portion of a main locking shaft; a lock unit which is incorporated in the operating handle and provided with a rotor which is provided with a keyhole; and, a stopper plate which is connected with the rotor and releasably engaged with a latch portion provided in the side of said housing. In operation, the operating handle is released from the retracted position in the housing when the key inserted into the keyhole is rotatably driven in a suitable direction, which permits the operating handle thus released from the retracted position to side-swing and rotatably drive the main locking shaft to unlock the door from the stationary frame.
In the conventional door locking assembly having the above construction, it is impossible for an instrument-box management person to release the operating handle from its retracted position in the housing when he or she does not insert the key into the lock unit of the assembly at a site where the instrument box is installed.
Due to this, when the office of the instrument-box management person is remote from the installation site of the instrument box, it is necessary for the instrument-box management person to travel between the office and the box""s installation site at much expense in time.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a door lock handle assembly of a pull-out and side-swinging lever-action type, which assembly is capable of releasing an operating handle from its retracted position in a housing upon receipt of an unlocking signal which is issued by an instrument-box management person from a site remote from the installation site of an instrument box, wherein the operating handle is automatically locked again to its retracted position when a worker sent by the person pushes the operating handle into its retracted position.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the above object of the present invention is accomplished by providing:
In door locking handle assembly of a pull-out and side-swinging lever-action type comprising: a housing fixedly mounted on a door which is swingably mounted on a stationary frame; an operating handle which has at least its main body portion retractably received in the housing and its proximal-end portion pivoted to a front-end portion of a main locking shaft; a lock unit which is incorporated in the operating handle and provided with a rotor which is provided with a keyhole; and, a stopper plate which is connected with the rotor and releasably engaged with a latch portion provided in the side of the housing, wherein the operating handle is released from the retracted position in the housing when the key inserted into the keyhole is rotatably driven in a suitable direction, which permits the operating handle thus released from the retracted position to side-swing and rotatably drive the main locking shaft to unlock the door from the stationary frame, the improvement wherein:
a solenoid is provided with a plunger and fixedly mounted on a rear surface of the housing;
the latch portion is formed in a receiving lever plate;
the receiving lever plate is pivoted to each of the housing and the plunger, and rotatably biased by a spring in a direction in which the latch portion of the receiving lever plate is engaged with the stopper plate; and
the latch portion of the receiving lever plate is released from the stopper plate when the solenoid is energized to pull back the receiving lever plate.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the above object of the present invention is accomplished by providing:
The door locking handle assembly of the pull-out and side-swinging lever-action type as set forth in the first aspect of the present invention, wherein:
the housing is provided with an opening portion for receiving the receiving lever plate therein;
the proximal-end portion of the receiving lever plate is pivoted to the housing through a pivot which passes through opposite side wall portions of the housing, the side wall portions being so arranged as to sandwich the opening portion of the housing therebetween;
the plunger of the solenoid is pivoted to an intermediate portion of the receiving lever plate;
a support plate portion is formed in a front-end portion of the receiving lever plate to abut against an edge wall portion of a rear surface of the opening portion; and
the latch portion is formed in a root portion of the support plate portion.